Meat Packaging System

Abstract

A system and method for rapidly binding fresh meat myoglobin with carbon monoxide. The method includes placing the fresh meat into a chamber, creating a negative pressure within the chamber, pressurizing the chamber with an atmosphere including carbon monoxide, maintaining the chamber at hyperbaric levels of pressure for a dwell time and bringing the chamber to regular atmospheric pressure. The myoglobin of the meat within the chamber is thereby rapidly converted to carboxymyoglobin and, thus, the meat appears normally oxygenated. The meat may be placed into a low oxygen atmosphere or vacuum packaging machine and packaged accordingly.

1 . An apparatus for rapid binding of gas to fresh meat myoglobin, the apparatus comprising: 
 a support for supporting a fresh meat product;    a pressure vessel for forming a seal with the support wherein the fresh meat product may be positioned within the pressure vessel;    a compressed carbon monoxide source coupled to the pressure vessel for pressurizing the pressure vessel with a positive pressure of between approximately 10 atm and approximately 34 atm using an atmosphere; and    a vacuum source coupled to the pressure vessel for drawing a vacuum in the pressure vessel;    wherein the fresh meat treated using the apparatus is rapidly imparted with a cherry-red color.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon monoxide source provides a gas mixture comprising at least about 10 percent carbon monoxide.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon monoxide source provides a gas mixture comprising a percentage of carbon monoxide less than 100%.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the gas mixture further comprises nitrogen.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an air cylinder coupled to the pressure vessel for causing motion of the pressure vessel with respect to the support.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compressed carbon monoxide source is coupled to the pressure vessel using a dual-position valve.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust for venting the pressure vessel.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller for controlling the air cylinder, the compressed carbon monoxide source, and the vacuum source.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum source is adapted to draw a vacuum within the pressure vessel of from about 0.7 to about 1.0 atm.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fresh meat product is a fresh beef cut.  
   
   
       11 . A method for rapidly changing the state of meat myoglobin comprising: 
 placing meat in chamber,    creating a negative pressure within the chamber;    pressurizing the chamber with a positive pressure of between approximately 10 atm and approximately 34 atm with an atmosphere including carbon monoxide;    maintaining the chamber at hyperbaric levels of pressure for a dwell time;    bringing the chamber to regular atmospheric pressure.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the atmosphere comprises at least about 10 percent carbon monoxide.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the dwell time is sufficient to convert the meat myoglobin to carboxymyoglobin.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the dwell time is no more than approximately 2 minutes.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein pressurizing the chamber with an atmosphere including carbon monoxide comprises pressurizing the chamber with an atmosphere including a mixture of gases including carbon monoxide, wherein the mixture of gases comprises at least about 10 percent carbon monoxide.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising creating a negative pressure within the chamber prior to bringing the chamber to regular atmospheric pressure.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising packaging the meat.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein packaging the meat comprises vacuum packaging the meat.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising maintaining the chamber at a negative pressure for a dwell time prior to pressurizing the chamber with an atmosphere including carbon monoxide.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein pressurizing the chamber with an atmosphere including carbon monoxide is done to approximately 34 atm.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, after maintaining the chamber at hyperbaric levels of pressure, creating a negative pressure within the chamber a second time, pressurizing the chamber with an atmosphere including carbon monoxide, and again maintaining the chamber at hyperbaric levels of pressure for a time period sufficient to completely convert the meat myoglobin to carboxymyoglobin.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus for rapid binding of gas to fresh meat myoglobin, the apparatus comprising: 
 a chamber housing a fresh meat product, wherein the chamber comprises means for creating a seal around the fresh meat product;    means for pressurizing the chamber coupled to the chamber for pressurizing the chamber with a positive pressure of between approximately 10 atm and approximately 34 atm; and    means for creating a negative pressure within the chamber coupled to the chamber;    such that fresh meat treated using the apparatus is rapidly imparted with a cherry-red color.    
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the means for pressurizing the chamber provides a gas mixture comprising at least about 10 percent carbon monoxide.  
   
   
       24 . A vacuum packaged meat product comprising: 
 fresh meat, the fresh meat having a generally red coloration carboxymoglobin on a surface thereof, the fresh meat thus having a cherry-red color;    a vacuum package around the fresh meat.